The Parable of the Hypocrites (1/5)

Imam al-Qayyim on al-Baqarah (2): 17-20

Allah, Exalted is He, says in Surah al-Baqarah (2): 17-20 concerning the hypocrites:

17. “Their likeness is that of one who kindled a fire, and then when it had lit up all around them, Allah removed their light and left them in darknesses, unable to see.”

18. “Deaf, dumb and blind, they will not return.”

19. “Or that of a storm-cloud in the sky, full of darkness, thunder and lightning. They thrust their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps, fearful of death. Allah encompasses the disbelievers.”

20. “The lightning all but snatches away their sight. Whenever they have light, they walk therein but whenever darkness covers them, they halt. If Allah wished, He could take away their hearing and their sight; for Allah has power over all things.”

Allah, Glorious is He, has propounded a parable for His enemies, the hypocrites, with a people who ignited a fire in order to acquire light and benefit - for they were a people on a journey who had lost their way. When this fire had alighted and lit up their surroundings, they were able to see the right path, they were able to see what would benefit them and what would harm them; but then, suddenly, the light was extinguished and they were left in darkness; all three routes to guidance were barred them. 'Deaf dumb and blind,' guidance comes to a servant from three doors: what he hears with his ears; what he sees with his eyes; and what he understands with his heart; these people's hearts are unable to comprehend, they cannot see, and neither can they hear.[1] It is also said that because they gained no benefit from their ears, sight, and hearts; they were as good as those who had no faculty of hearing, seeing, and comprehension; and hence were described as such. Both these opinions are of the same meaning and go hand-in-hand. 'They will not return,' in the light they had seen the path of guidance, but when the light left them, they did not return to that guidance,

Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He said, 'Allah removed their light’ placing the particle 'ba' before the word 'light’[2] and there is a notable reason for this. That is that this usage serves to show that Allah has removed from them His special closeness that is reserved for the believers only. Therefore, after His removing their light, He neither stays 'close' to them or 'with' them. They have no place in His sayings,

“Do not be despondent, Allah is with us.” [Surah at-Tawbah (9): 40]

He said, “Never! My Lord is with me and He will guide me.” [Surah ash-Shu’ara’ (26): 62]

Ponder carefully His saying, 'then when it had lit up all around them, ' how this light is clearly shown to be distinct and separate from them, for had it been a light that was intrinsic to them, it would not have left them. Therefore it was a light that surrounded them but did not enter them, it was something fleeting whereas the darkness was something permanent and intrinsic to them. Hence the light returned to its source and the darkness remained in its source, all of this was done as a proof from Allah and for an all-encompassing wisdom that none but those endowed with understanding can see.

Ponder carefully His saying, 'Allah removed their light,’ how He did not say, 'Allah removed their fire,' such that the wording would conform to that found at the beginning of this verse. Why is this? Fire has both the property to give light and the property to burn, so its property of light was removed leaving only the property to burn and harm.[3]

Ponder carefully His saying 'their light’ how He did not say 'their glow (daw),' despite the fact that He said, 'then when it had lit up all around them, ' employing the words daw’. The word Daw’ refers, essentially, to that light which is extraneous to basic light. So if Allah had said that He had taken away their daw’ it would have suggested that only the extraneous light had been taken away and not the basic light. Now because light, nur, is the basis upon which daw’ is built, to say that the nur has been taken away automatically presupposes that the dachas also been taken away This then stresses the fact that they are people of darkness and have no light in any of its forms: the Book which Allah has called light; the Messenger (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam) which Allah has called light; His religion which Allah has called light; His guidance which Allah has called light; one of His Names is 'the Light'; and the prayer which is light, Allah's taking away their light means that He took all this away from them.

Ponder carefully how this parable completely corresponds to the previously given parable,

 “Those are the people who have sold guidance for misguidance. Their trade has brought them no profit and they are not guided.” [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 16]

How they acquired this misguidance at the expense of guidance, giving it away happily;[4] and here how they happily acquired darkness - misguidance - at the expense of light - guidance. Hence they have sold light and guidance and bought darkness and misguidance... what a wretched transaction!

Ponder carefully how Allah says, ‘Allah removed their light,'

But says, 'and left them in darknesses’, mentioning light in the singular and darkness in the plural. The truth is one, and that is Allah's Straight Path: the only path that leads to Him: worshipping Allah Alone in accordance to what has been legislated upon the tongue of His Messenger (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam); not with one’s own desires and innovations. However the ways of falsehood are many and this is why Allah mentions the truth in its singular form but falsehood in its plural,

 “Allah is the protector of those who believe. He brings them out of the darknesses into the light.  But the disbelievers have false gods as protectors, they take them from the light into the darknesses...” [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 257]

“This is My Path and it is straight, so follow it. Do not follow other ways or you will become cut off from His Way. That is what He instructs you to do so that hopefully you will have taqwa.” [Surah al-An'am (6): 153]

This does not contradict His saying,

“By it, Allah guides those who follow what pleases Him to the ways of Peace.” [Surah al-Md'idah (5): 16]

For this verse makes reference to the ways and routes that can be taken to please Him, all of which are contained within His one path, the Straight Path. It is authentically reported that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) drew a straight line on the ground and said, ‘This is the path of Allah,' then he drew lines to the left and right of this line and said, These are the other paths, at the head of every path is a devil calling to it,' then he recited the verse,

“This is My Path and it is straight, so follow it. Do not follow other ways or you will become cut off from His Way that is what He instructs you to do so that hopefully you will have taqwa.” [Surah al-An’am (6): 153][5]

It is also said in explanation to this first parable that it is a similitude for what the hypocrites kindle of the fire of trial and tribulation that they seek to covertly spread amongst the Muslims, as such it would be in the same vein as His saying,

“Each time they kindle the fire of war, Allah extinguishes it.” [Surah al-Ma'idah (5): 64]

(Continued)